Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2019)
4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Visual arts, literature, theater, music & more ‘SINGULAR ENERGY’ 18 north coast artists explore the ocean in Fairweather House and Gallery exhibition “Making Waves,” an exhibition on view now at Seaside’s Fairweather House and Gallery, features works by 18 north coast artists that explore our relationship to the ocean. Artist Victoria Brooks works on a painting during the opening reception for “Making Waves” at Fairweather House and Gallery. Photos by Katherine Lacaze By KATHERINE LACAZE FOR COAST WEEKEND I f Fairweather House and Gal- lery in Seaside’s July exhi- bition “Making Waves” demonstrates anything it is that the ocean has countless faces, pro- viding an equal amount of oppor- tunities for artists for develop individual relationships with the water while striving to capture its expression. “All artists sort of share that same problem-solving dilemma: How to accurately render a sur- face of water,” said artist Phil Jut- telstad, of Tigard, who is pre- senting work for the first time at Fairweather. “There are a thousand ways to interpret an image, so there are lots of opportunities to explore.” The exhibition is on view now through the end of July opened with a reception during Seaside’s First Saturday Art Walk. Accord- ing to gallery owner Denise Fair- weather, the exhibition includes new original work created entirely by 18 North Coast artists. Every month, Fairweather transforms her gallery with a new exhibition centered on a particu- lar theme. Late last year, she sent a list of potential themes to her resident artists – those who consistently have work on display at the gal- lery – and they shared their pref- erence for the themes that fit with their existing work or for which they wanted to create new pieces. At least once per year, the theme relates in some way to water and the ocean. Excitement and energy The range of images, styles and techniques in the current exhi- bition, Fairweather said, “reveals the extraordinary impact of the sea and waves.” For oil painter Sharon Abbott- Furze, who is also new to gallery and did a demonstration during During the opening reception for Fariweather House and Gallery’s July exhibition “Making Waves,” guest artist Sharon Abbott- Furze shares an oil painting she’s working on entitled “Timeless.” the opening reception, the theme “Making Waves” was a natural fit. She regularly paints seascapes and has an affinity for every- thing about the ocean: “the power, the lighting, the movement, the moods,” she said. Dabbling in abstract impres- sionism and expressionistic real- ism, she focuses on capturing the emotions evoked by what she is observing. “I meander,” she said. “I’m not trying to paint what I see, I’m painting what I feel, and oils really accommodate that well.” Although Abbott-Furze now lives in Vancouver, she and her husband had a boat ported in Ilwaco for many years from the late 1960s to the ’80s. She and other artists expressed what they find to be unique about the ocean and its expression on the Oregon and Washington coast as compared to other locations. “They don’t have the excite- ment for me, the power, the terrain of our coast,” Abbott-Furze said. Juttelstad agreed, adding, “The Oregon Coast is singular in that it has kind of an energy about it that a lot of locations can’t impart.” Additionally, he said, the mountains and rocks along the coast create “some really nice geometry and opportunities for dynamic composition,” with rough waves and muted col- ors because of the surrounding atmosphere. Painting the ocean, coast Karen Lewis, who over the years has sought to paint “the many moods of water,” also pays close attention to even subtle color variations and how they factor into her composition. Each coastal location “has its special quirks,” she said. For instance, when she paints images of the ocean in Hawaii, she specifically keeps pthalo blue on hand to accurately render the water. In Oregon, the ocean con- tains more green. The surface also reflects the sky and the shadows that pass over it. “The water itself creates oppor- tunities that don’t exist in looking at a static surface, such as the side of a building or a hillside,” Jut- telstad agreed. “You have to ren- der the surface of the water, the waves, and the debris that is on the surface. You also have to ren- der what is underneath the water.” Lewis added seascapes also encapsulate movement, which presents another challenge for painters. “You have to watch for pat- terns – patterns of color, patterns of movement – and things that repeat to find a moment to cap- ture,” she said. CW
